Prominent political personalities - including two former parliamentary speakers - have warned that unruliness in the National Assembly could encourage social conflict, especially with local government elections around the corner. Frene Ginwala and Max Sisulu took part in a private discussion convened by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, a non-governmental body, to examine the state of parliament and South Africa's constitutional framework.Ginwala was the first Speaker of South Africa's democratic parliament. Sisulu held the position between 2009 and last year.The criticism of parliament comes amid heightened tensions between the ANC and the EFF over Nkandla."There is a distinct trust-deficit between the political parties in parliament, which is rendering the institution dysfunctional," the NGO's executive secretary, Lawson Naidoo, said in a statement after the discussion.This had led to parties being "overzealous and combative in their dealings" with one another, with the result that rigorous debate on substantive issues was often eschewed in favour of political skirmishes.The gathering, the statement said, warned that "parties need to consider that conflict in parliament may have unintended consequences in terms of social conflict, especially at election times"."Repeated encroach-ments" by the executive in parliament's processes and business - something that undermined the house's independence - were also remarked on by the participants, who included Cathy Albertyn, Firoz Cachalia, Richard Calland, Hugh Corder, Judith February, Kasper Hahndiek, Sindiso Mfenyana, Naidoo, Sybil Seaton, Raenette Taljaard, Ben Turok and Leon Wessels.The meeting agreed that more research was needed on issues bedevilling the National Assembly. The NGO said it would approach chief whips in parliament with the suggestion...